Winner: Toronto Maple Leafs

Countless teams wanted to audition for "The Bachelor." Just six made the final cut. Only the Maple Leafs received a rose.

Toronto landed the prize of free agency in John Tavares. The future is bright in Toronto with two superstar centers (one is 27 years old, the other is 20) and a 32-year-old general manager in Kyle Dubas who apparently made such an eloquent pitch, Tavares couldn't refuse. What's more, the Maple Leafs are boasting love and peace in the locker room. "Ego? What ego?" they ask.

Auston Matthews doesn't mind sharing the spotlight -- he even helped recruit Tavares. Line combinations are irrelevant. Everything is swell. The Leafs are no longer lovable underdogs; the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook promoted Toronto to 8-to-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup after this deal. It's going to be difficult to keep Jake Gardiner from unrestricted free agency next summer, and the defensive group in general is pretty shaky. But for now, it's all gravy.

The Toronto Maple Leafs landed the biggest fish in the free-agent ocean in John Tavares. Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP

Loser: Lou Lamoriello

Lou Lamoriello is a stabilizer. He arrived in Toronto when they needed a veteran executive in the general manager's role, and left three years later with the Leafs as a rising Stanley Cup contender. There's no better validation of that status than the Maple Leafs being good enough to attract the premiere unrestricted free agent available.

We're keeping track of every notable signing and trade throughout the offseason right here, with a signing tracker and expert grades.

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Unfortunately, that free agent also happened to be the franchise center for Lamoriello's new team, the New York Islanders. John Tavares' leaving rips the heart of the current incarnation of the Islanders. The draw of his childhood team was far more powerful than that of Lamoriello, coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders' frequent also-ran status and arena uncertainty. A petty statement about Tavares having "achieved great individual success on the ice" was the capper for one of the most brutal days in the history of the Islanders.

First, the Coyotes flipped Max Domi to Montreal for Alex Galchenyuk, giving the young (hopefully) center the change in scenery he needs. They inked speedy scorer Michael Grabner at $3.35 million annually for three seasons. They re-upped Kevin Connauton for two years at $1.375 million against the cap. They also extended Niklas Hjalmarsson through 2021 at $5 million per season.

Arizona still has over $16 million cap space and has already checked off a number of boxes.

While the Islanders were embarrassed by the Tavares decision, no team was more humiliated by it than the Montreal Canadiens.

First, they didn't even get an invite to pitch the top free agent of the summer. Then, they watched him sign within their division and with their blood rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Factor in trading Galchenyuk for Domi, who is not a center, and then acquiring Joel Armia from the Jets, who has rarely played center, and the Canadiens remain a donut.

But hey, at least they brought back Tomas Plekanec so he can retire as a Canadien.

The Canadiens whiffed on adding any of the top-flight players in free agency, but at least Tomas Plekanec is coming home. Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

Winner: Shade

Plenty of teams felt jilted by the Tavares decision -- compounded by the elongated and secretive process.

The Islanders, of course, were most scorned by Tavares; they drafted the center No. 1 overall in 2009, courted him over the past 12 months and tried to appeal to him with a new GM and coach (who have both won Stanley Cups) ... then watched their captain walk away without recouping anything. Lamoriello released a curt, 56-word statement congratulating Tavares on his "individual success." Zing.

San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson, who cleared cap space and boasted a championship-ready roster, thanked his own "world-class players" who "have continually chosen to bypass a chance at unrestricted free agency in recent years because they want to play in San Jose." (Of course, this is the same team that lost Patrick Marleau to free agency last summer).

Loser: Winnipeg Jets

The Jets were saddled with 16 restricted free agents to take care of, including 12 for whom they made qualifying offers. They also need to figure out an extension for Patrik Laine. Even still, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff found a way to clear cap space -- via a stealth unloading of Steve Mason's bloated contract to the Canadiens -- with the goal of retaining their trade-deadline rental, Paul Stastny. After all, Stastny was terrific with the Jets, especially through the playoffs, as a complement to Laine on the second line.

The Jets offered Stastny a three-year deal (the same term he accepted with the Vegas Golden Knights) but were not able to match Vegas' $6.5 million per year. The Jets had their perfect No. 2 center within grasp -- and could do nothing but let him walk away.

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If 2018 free agency reminded us of anything, it's that it is possible to go home again. And to try to do the thing that eluded you the first go-around.

Perhaps this is best illustrated by Perron, the first example of a Golden Misfit returning to the team that once exposed him. Perron has played for five teams in his career and yet somehow the Blues are the only team to sign him to a contract (he's now on his fifth with the club).

James van Riemsdyk last played for the Flyers during the 2011-12 season. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Loser: Gary Bettman

According to the New York Post, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed an edict to the NHL board of governors: To stop handing out signing bonuses for seasons around the next potential lockout in 2020-21.

Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik was a good soldier, foregoing any signing bonus for Ryan McDonagh during those seasons. The Toronto Maple Leafs? Not so much: Tavares will make $70.89 million of his $77 million in signing bonuses and is scheduled to make $11.09 million in bonuses during the 2020-21 season.

When the highest-profile signing by a league standard-bearer defies those wishes, Bettman takes an L.

We didn't hear the Capitals mentioned much -- if at all -- on July 1, but don't discount them as the big winners of 2018 free agency.

Remember, the big fish in this year's sea (besides Tavares) was supposed to be John Carlson. The Capitals locked in their No. 1 defenseman to an eight-year deal, worth $8 million per season. The 28-year-old likely would have commanded more money on the open market.

Washington also locked in two of its big playoff performers, Michal Kempny and Devante Smith-Pelly, while fending off other suitors. They also let somebody else overpay for Jay Beagle. Stanley Cup champions in the salary-cap era rarely get to return the virtually same roster the next season. Washington will do so, minus its backup goaltender and a fourth-liner (whose role will be filled by a homegrown youngster). Not bad.

The Vancouver Canucks are in an awkward, post-Sedins era. There's money on the roster in veteran players, and there is a collection of great young players, such as Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser.

And now, there is a pair of veteran fourth-liners in Antoine Roussel and Beagle who are signed for four years each for a combined $6 million against the cap each year. GM Jim Benning said that four years was "the market for those players," which might come as a surprise to many, as apparently there was a market for those players at all.

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals, Jay Beagle signed a four-year, $12 million deal with the Canucks. Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images

Winner: Ex-Leafs centers

We knew Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov were unlikely to stick around, even before Tavares' decision was announced. We didn't know just how much other teams coveted the Maple Leafs' discards.

Bozak, who is 32 years old, commanded $5 million per year from the Blues. The 31-year-old Komarov, a bottom-six forward whose best asset is his versatility, somehow picked up $3 million per year over four years with the Islanders. Of course, that was part of a desperate contingency plan for New York after it learned Tavares would take his services elsewhere.

Hey, you can say this about Tavares: A rising tide lifts all boats. Even in the harbor it abandoned.